About Us

In 1971, the Foodservice Technology Program was established at Anchorage Community College to meet a need for trained cooks and bakers - a need that would become critical during the Alaska Pipeline boom. The next year the program relocated from temporary facilities at McLaughlin Youth Center to its present home in the newly constructed Lucy Cuddy Center.

Many years and many changes later, program enrollment increased and educational services were expanded to train for a continuing industry need for chefs, pastry chefs, hotel and restaurant managers, and dietitians.

In 1987-88 Anchorage Community College merged with the University of Alaska Anchorage and in 1991 the Foodservice Technology Program became the Culinary Arts & Hospitality/Dietetics & Nutrition Division. With increasing industry demand for professionals and to complement the Associate of Applied Science degree in culinary arts, the program implemented a Bachelor of Arts degree in hospitality and restaurant management in 2000. In 1994 the dietetic internship was offered.

Today faculty and staff members strive to realize the program’s educational mission to train Alaskans by reaching out to a statewide audience. The division has truly become the premier training center for the state's hospitality and tourism industry and a leader in training dietetics professionals. Since 1972, more than 800 graduates have filled Alaskan jobs from Barrow to Ketchikan ranging from camp cook to hotel manager.